Window catch



Aug. 26, 1941. w. c. CARPENTER WINDOW CATCH Filed Oct. 12, 1938 INVENTOR. l Wesley C. Car/venan H/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 2,254,167 l wiNDow cATcn Wesley C. Carpenter, Grafton, Ohio, assignor to Frank M. Slough, Cleveland, Ohio Application October 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,661

Claims.

This invention relates to window fasteners and is particularly directed to a window catch or lock for locking a window in either open or closed positions, and preventing relative movement between the sash.

An object of the invention is to provide a catch or lock of this character formed of rubber or like yieldable material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock that is assembled from a minimum of parts and can be installed for use in a short time without the use of special tools.

A further object is to providea novel and eiiicient catch of this type wherein the resistance to opening the window is increased as the force applied thereto is increased.

A still further object is to provide a fastener which includes a bracket adapted to -be secured to one sash member and a rubber wedging element pivoted to the bracket and arranged to engage an adjacent sash member.

Another object is to provide a wedging ele ment having a sash engaging face provided with cross serrations to insure a positive gripping engagement with a sash member.

Still another object is to provide a flexible stop element pivot-ed to a rigid element and having an end portion engageable with a sash member so that the sash may be opened relative to each other any desired amount and secured in such positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined stop and anti-rattler for sliding window sash that is easily manipulated and at the same time exceedingly reliable.

Further objects of my invention and the invention itself will become increasingly apparent from a consideration of the following'description and drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the adjacent rails of a window, showing the fastener in locking position with the window closed;

Fig, 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the fastener in locking position with the window partially open; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fastener shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, upper and lower window sash have been illustrated respectively at I0 and l2. The upper sash is shown as having a lower cross member or rail I4 and a side, generally vertically disposed rail I6, having a iront face Il. The lower sash includes an Aupper generally horizontal cross rail member I9 having a top face 20 and a side rail member 22. The

upper and lower sash members are mounted for relative vertical movement in a well known manner, so that the window may be opened from the bottom or the top, or both, as desired.

In order to prevent unauthorized opening of such windows, it has been proposed to lock the sash together in closed position by a locking device of one type, and when it is desired to have the window partially open for ventilation and the like, to provide a second lock or catch permitting the sash to be raised or lowered a certain predetermined amount. Such locks are generally made of meal and in many instances their use mars or defaces the sash rails. Furthermore, many of the so-called locks are` not tamperproof and as a result have proven unreliable.

The foregoing objections have been overcome by the lock or catch of the present invention, which is readily installed and manipulated, and which is very reliable. The fastener comprises two principal elements, a bracket 25 in which is pivotally mounted a resilient friction element or wedge 21. The bracket 25 is preferably formed from sheet metal suitably shaped and bent to form a base portion 28 having one or more apertures therein to receive a screw 29 for securing the device to the top surface 20 of the lower or inner sash l2. Extending upwardly from opposite sides oi the base 28 are arms 3l of suitable configuration and provided with openings 33 arranged to receive a pivot element 35 which may be a pin, cotter key, or the like.

Secured in bracket 25 is the resilient element 27 which is preferably made `of rubber of the desired hardness to render the same only suiciently yeldable for the desired purpose'. Element 27 is of the shape illustrated for the purposes hereinafterappearing and has a pivoted end portion 37 adapted to be received between the upstanding arms 3l and an extending arm having a lower arcuate face 38. An opening 39 is provided in the portion 31 through which is projected the pivot element 35, to secure the element 27 between the bracket arms.

Opposite the end portion 31 the arm is en larged as at 4l! to providean upwardly and out-- wardly disposed portion eccentric of the pivot 35, and having aned'ge or face 4I adapted for engagement with the vertical rail I6 of the upper sash lli. The face 4I is preferably arrange-d to lie parallelto the face of the rail, or substanY tially vertical when in operative position, and is cross serrated as at 43. It is to be understood that face 4| may be otherwise roughened so as to provide for effective frictional engagement with the sash member.

The normalV locking position of the .device is substantially as indicated in full lines in Fig. l, and it will be noted that member 27 is compressed generally longitudinally by reason of its being wedged between the sash face and the pivot element 35 and that opening 39 is deformed slightly due to the rearward displacement of the resilient material forming the wedging element. The lower face 38 bears against the top surface 2i) of the sash I2 land the sash thus serves as a support for the element 21 for preventing downward movement thereof beyond its eiective position. Thus, member 21 is wedged between the two relatively movable sash members. When an effort is made to forcibly slide either sash relative to the other, the frictional engagement of the member 21 is increased' due to further wedging action, somewhat as shown in Fig. 2. In such positions it will be noted that member 21 becomes wedged to a greater or lesser extent be- ,tween the top of rail I9 and the front of rail IG, l depending upon the force exerted thereon. When member 21 has pivoted and yielded its maximum amount, it will be noted that further relative movement between the sashes is effectively stopped.

When'adjusting the window opening for the desired ventilation or the like, or when the device is not being utilized, it may be pivoted rearwardly to a position away from the upper sash to be out of contact therewith. In swinging the member forwardly into position to engage the upper sash, it will be noted that the lower portion of face 4I engages the sash first as shown in dotted lines inFig. l, and that due to the location of the pivot element and the relative angularity of the contact face, positive locking engagement is substantially instantaneous and requires a minimum of effort or force to render the device operable.

It willV be further noted that when the device is in operative position, the same effectively serves to prevent either sash from rattling.- This is due to the fact that the rubber member 21 wedgingly as well as frictionally engages one sash rail and is positively fixed to another, so that lateral as well as vertical or longitudinal movement between the sash Iare equally effectively prevented. Thus, it will be seen that the device is capable of serving as a lock, a catch or fastener for limiting the amount of window opening, and an anti-rattler, eliminating the use of separate devices for each of these purposes.

What I claim is:

1. `A locking mechanism for a window comprising upper outer and lower inner sashes, adapted to restrain more than a )predetermined overlapping relative movement of said sashes, compris-- ing a support mounted on the upper surface of the lower sash, and an el Cugat-ed latch element of resilient rubber or like material. having a longitudinally extending substantially Yconvex surface, said latch element pivoted by end thereof on substantially vertical plane towards the adjacent vertical surface of said upper sash, the pivo s axis being sufciently spaced from said l sash surface, with respect to the thickness of said element in the direction of rocking, and the length thereof being such that ulDOIl Such 1'\"-'-f ing the engagement of said element is preliminarily effected between its free end portion and said upper sash surface, said element adapted to be forced by manual pressure applied to its upper side toward a more horizontal wherein said element will be downwardly bowed, and the distance between its ends contractingly foreshortened byA wedging of the element between the support pivot and said upper sash surface, and with restraining engagement of an intermediate portion of its lower convex surface with an upper surface of the lower sash.

horizontal said support for rocking in a r position Y 2. A locking mechanism for a window comprising upper outer and lower inner sashes, adapted to restrain more than a predetermined overlapping relative movement of said sashes, comprising a support mounted on the upper horizontal surface of the lower sash, and an elongated longitudinally concave-convex latch element of resilient rubber or like material, said latch element pivoted by an end thereof on said support for rocking in a substantially vertical plane towards the adjacent vertical surface of said upper sash, the pivoting axis being suciently spaced from said lower sash surface, with respect to the thickness of said element in the direction of rocking, and the length thereof being such that upon such rocking the engagement of said element is preliminarily effected between its free end portion and said upper sash surface, said element adapted to be forced by manual pressure applied to its upper side toward a more horizontal position wherein said element will be downwardly additionally bowed, and the distance between its ends contractingly foreshortened by wedging of the element between the support pivot and said upper such surface, and with restraining engagement of an intermediate portion of its lower convex surface with an upper surface of the lower sash.

3. The mechanism substantially as set forth in claim l, whereupon after the recited rocking movement by manual pressure, upon attempted further overlapping movements of the two sashes, additional areas of engagement between said element and said lower sash upper surface will progressively be effected from the point of initial engagement proceeding toward the said upper sash vertical surface, to effect a change of form of the engaged portions of said latch lower surface from its initial convex form to planular form, the Said lower sash upper surface pressing upwardly against the lower surface of said latch Velement whereby such change of form is effected.

4. The mechanism substantially as set forth in claim 2, whereupon after the recited rocking movement by manual pressure, upon attempted further overlapping movements of the two sashes, additional areas of engagement between said element and said lower sash upper surface will progressively be effected from the point of initial engagement proceeding toward the said upper sash vertical surface, to effect a change of form of the engaged portions of said latch lower surface from its initial convex form to planular form, the said lower sash upper surface pressing upwardly against the lower surface of said latch element whereby such change of form is effected.

5. The mechanism substantially as set forth in claim l, whereupon after the recited rocking .movement by manual pressure, upon attempted further overlapping movements of the two sashes, additional areas of engagement between said element and said lower sash upper surface will progressively be effected from the point of initial engagement proceeding toward the said upper sash vertical'surface, to effect a change of form of the engaged portions of said latch lower surface from its initial convex form to planular form, the further downward movement of said upper sash causing the upper sash vertical surface engaged by said latch element to exert additional pressure upon said element to effect its said change of form.

WESLEY C, CARPENTER. 

